Administrative shortcomings and lack of student progress at Marlin Independent School District’s elementary school have led the state-appointed interim superintendent to take over some of the principal’s duties, according to reports from a new Texas Education Agency conservator.
State Education Commissioner Mike Morath appointed Diana Vaughn as conservator of the struggling district in September, replacing Jean Bahney, who became interim superintendent after Superintendent Michael Seabolt resigned.
In her first three months on duty, Vaughn charged Marlin ISD almost $23,000 for working about 270 hours, according to the reports, obtained through public information requests. Vaughn receives $85 per hour, plus reimbursement for any travel expenses related to her duties.
In a series of reports this fall, Vaughn states that although “leadership at the elementary campus has been changed, processes in the district are changing slowly. Leadership at the middle school, which also scored an F, did not change. The board of managers has been the most proactive in moving the district forward.”
In her September report, Vaughn states that Bahney has been assigned as the district coordinator of school improvement, in addition to her superintendent duties. Bahney and Vaughn began monitoring principals’ routines of reviewing and discussing lesson plans to guide instruction, a core component of improving student academic outcomes.
But it’s clear from Vaughn’s reports that the focus is on Marlin Elementary School, with meetings scheduled every three weeks with elementary staff and Bahney to report on their student data and address any progress or lack thereof.
In November, Vaughn wrote, “The elementary campus is still having difficulty implementing plans with fidelity. The inconsistency in implementation is having a negative impact on student achievement. Very little gains are noted.”
Vaughn reports meeting with Marlin Elementary School Principal Alushka Driska and, separately, with Bahney to discuss the “campus’ academic status, needs and culture.” She met with Bahney to talk about personnel concerns, facility maintenance, discipline and textbooks and other materials needed at the campus. Vaughn also met with Driska to voice concerns with the school’s academic progress and upcoming events intended to engage families, and she gave directives to Driska to address certain personnel matters and a time frame for implementing improvement plans.
Additionally, both Vaughn and Bahney met with then-assistant principal Phil Johanson in October to “clarify his duties and responsibilities in support of the principal” at the elementary school, as well as his time management.
Johanson resigned at the end of November.
In the two weeks before Thanksgiving break, Vaughn and Bahney met with Driska or Johanson — and sometimes both — every day.
On Nov. 21, Vaughn and Bahney met with Driska to discuss campus concerns and needs. She wrote that there is a need for more intense intervention and to address the missing reading materials for students, as well as “interruptions in the implementation of established plans.”
The next day, Nov. 22, Vaughn and Bahney met with Driska to discuss the “lack of leadership and to give direct oversight of instruction to the interim superintendent to establish consistency and follow through in addressing” instructional plans developed for the elementary school.
Attempts to reach Driska for comment Friday were unsuccessful. The state-appointed board of managers replaced the elected board of trustees in 2017. Morath extended the board’s appointment another two years in late January, when he revoked the district’s accreditation status because it failed state accountability ratings based on standardized exam scores for at least the past seven years.
The board of managers approved an agreement with the TEA last month to keep the schools open, while the state and district work to get students back on track.
— WACOTRIB
— WACOTRIB
